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John Powers John Powers is the pop culture and critic-at-large on NPR's Fresh Air with Terri Gross.
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John Powers

2 New Works Confront The Refugee Crisis With Empathy And Humanity

Gianfranco Rosi's documentary, Fire at Sea, is set on the tiny Sicilian island of Lampedusa, where tens of thousands of migrants come ashore each year. 01 Distribution hide caption

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01 Distribution

Review

Arts & Life

2 New Works Confront The Refugee Crisis With Empathy And Humanity

Fresh Air

Critic John Powers discusses the Italian documentary, Fire at Sea, and the novel, These Are the Names. The works take very different — but nonetheless poignant — approaches to the refugee situation.

2 New Works Confront The Refugee Crisis With Empathy And Humanity

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Movie Reviews

Feminist Western 'Certain Women' Takes On Friendship And Stoicism

Fresh Air

Kelly Reichardt presents the interlocking lives of several Montana women in her new film, Certain Women. Critic John Powers calls it a work of "quiet restraint and unhurried rhythm."

Feminist Western 'Certain Women' Takes On Friendship And Stoicism

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Movie Reviews

'13th' Maps The Road From Slavery To Mass Incarceration

Fresh Air

Ava DuVernay's new film takes its name from the amendment that abolished slavery, but allowed for prisoner servitude. Critic John Powers says 13th puts forth a searing interpretation of U.S. history.

'13th' Maps The Road From Slavery To Mass Incarceration

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Old West Gunslinging Meets Futuristic Androids In HBO's 'Westworld'

James Marsden plays a tourist and Evan Rachel Wood is a rancher's daughter in the HBO series Westworld, which premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. John P. Johnson/HBO hide caption

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John P. Johnson/HBO

Television

Old West Gunslinging Meets Futuristic Androids In HBO's 'Westworld'

Fresh Air

HBO's latest series is a high-tech theme park, whose visitors get to live out their wildest dreams of being in the Old West. Critic John Powers calls Westworld an "unexpectedly resonant show."

Old West Gunslinging Meets Futuristic Androids In HBO's 'Westworld'

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Kiefer Sutherland Takes Over The Oval Office As The 'Designated Survivor'

Kiefer Sutherland stars as Tom Kirkman, a lower-level Cabinet member who suddenly becomes president of the United States, in the ABC series Designated Survivor, which premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. Ian Watson/ABC hide caption

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Ian Watson/ABC

Television

Kiefer Sutherland Takes Over The Oval Office As The 'Designated Survivor'

Fresh Air

Sutherland plays a Cabinet member who becomes president after an explosion takes out the U.S. Capitol — and everyone above him in the pecking order. Critic John Powers has a review.

Kiefer Sutherland Takes Over The Oval Office As The 'Designated Survivor'

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Movie Reviews

'War Dogs' Puts A Satirical Spin On The Business Of War

Fresh Air

Todd Phillips' new comedy, which is loosely based on a true story, follows two 20-somethings from Miami who become international arms dealers. Critic John Powers calls War Dogs "jauntily enjoyable."

'War Dogs' Puts A Satirical Spin On The Business Of War

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Dystopian Novel Challenges Misogyny As 'The Natural Way Of Things'
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Review

Book Reviews

Dystopian Novel Challenges Misogyny As 'The Natural Way Of Things'

Fresh Air

Charlotte Wood's short, gripping book focuses on 10 women who have been sent to a prison camp after various sex scandals. Critic John Powers calls The Natural Way of Things a ferocious novel.

Dystopian Novel Challenges Misogyny As 'The Natural Way Of Things'

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'Zero Days' Documentary Exposes A Looming Threat Of The Digital Age

Alex Gibney's new documentary Zero Days focuses on the large-scale implications of computer malware. Magnolia Pictures hide caption

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Magnolia Pictures

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Movie Reviews

'Zero Days' Documentary Exposes A Looming Threat Of The Digital Age

Fresh Air

Filmmaker Alex Gibney's new documentary focuses on the large-scale implications of computer malware. Critic John Powers calls Zero Days an important — and chilling — film.

'Zero Days' Documentary Exposes A Looming Threat Of The Digital Age

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2 Brilliantly Written Novels From Mexico Head Up A Wave Of Literary Talent

Cover detail of The Transmigration of Bodies, by Yuri Herrera & Other Stories hide caption

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& Other Stories

Review

Book Reviews

2 Brilliantly Written Novels From Mexico Head Up A Wave Of Literary Talent

Fresh Air

Critic John Powers says there's a boom in good fiction emerging from Mexico. He recommends Among Strange Victims, by Daniel Saldaña París, and The Transmigration of Bodies, by Yuri Herrera.

2 Brilliantly Written Novels From Mexico Head Up A Wave Of Literary Talent

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Movie Reviews

'The Witness' Exposes The Myths, Misconceptions Of Kitty Genovese's Murder

Fresh Air

A new documentary revisits Genovese's 1964 murder and the 38 bystanders who allegedly did nothing to stop it. Critic John Powers says the film is "a useful moral corrective" to the popular narrative.

'The Witness' Exposes The Myths, Misconceptions Of Kitty Genovese's Murder

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An Emotional Storm Breaks In Paradise In 'A Bigger Splash'

A Bigger Splash features Ralph Fiennes as an old lover whose expected visit interrupts the life of rock star Marianne (played by Tilda Swinton). Jack English/Fox Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Jack English/Fox Searchlight Pictures

Review

Movie Reviews

An Emotional Storm Breaks In Paradise In 'A Bigger Splash'

Fresh Air

An aging rock star's respite in the Mediterranean is interrupted by an old lover in A Bigger Splash. John Powers calls the film, which stars Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, a "gripping slow-burn."

An Emotional Storm Breaks In Paradise In 'A Bigger Splash'

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Television

A Thrilling TV Adaptation Of John Le Carré's 'Night Manager'

Fresh Air

Le Carré's 1993 novel comes to life in a six-part AMC series. John Powers says the show, which jets from Egyptian streets to posh Alpine lodges, is one of the most enjoyable thrillers he's seen on TV.

A Thrilling TV Adaptation Of John Le Carré's 'Night Manager'

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In 'Neon Bull,' A Strange, Dreamy Road Movie Reveals A Vanishing Way Of Life

Cacá (played by Alyne Santana) is one of several characters who dreams of a life beyond the vaquejada in Neon Bull. Kino Lorber hide caption

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Kino Lorber

Review

Movie Reviews

In 'Neon Bull,' A Strange, Dreamy Road Movie Reveals A Vanishing Way Of Life

Fresh Air

Set amid Brazil's version of rodeo, Gabriel Mascaro's new film blends hope, melancholy, humor and poetry. Critic John Powers says Neon Bull is a remarkable feature that is filled with funny moments.

In 'Neon Bull,' A Strange, Dreamy Road Movie Reveals A Vanishing Way Of Life

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Movie Reviews

'My Golden Days,' An Heir To French New Wave

Fresh Air

Arnaud Desplechin's new film centers on the memories of a middle-aged Frenchman who returns to Paris after years of living abroad. Critic John Powers says My Golden Days is "achingly romantic."

'My Golden Days,' An Heir To French New Wave

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Book Reviews

'Charlie Chan Hock Chye' Offers A Heartfelt Take On Aging, Art And History

Fresh Air

John Powers reviews a new graphic novel that he describes as an astonishing work of imagination by the Singaporean writer and illustrator Sonny Liew. It's called The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye.

'Charlie Chan Hock Chye' Offers A Heartfelt Take On Aging, Art And History

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